Packaging machine



Oct. 29, 1957 G. E. SPRIGGS A 2,310,999

PACKAGING MACHINE Filed June 11, 1954 6 sheets-sheet 1 --l-Zll-:- l nvenbr Ot- 29, 1957 G. E. sPRlGGs 2,810,999

PACKAGING MACHINE Filed June 11, 1954 6 sheets-sheet 2 AHG2..

A Harney Oct. 29, 1957 G. E. sPRlGGs PACMGING MACHINE 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed June l1, 1954 A ttorney Oct. 29, 1957 u G. E. sPRlGGs 2,810,999

PACKAGING MACHINE Filed June 11, V1954 6 Sheets-Sheet-4 Inventor ttnrnev Oct. 29, 1957 G. E. sPRlGGs PACKAGING 'MACHINE 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed June ll, 1954 F/GS.

Inventor A ttorney Oct, 29, 1957 G. E. SFRIGGSv PACKAGING MACHINE Filed June 11. 1954 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 BWM Harney United States Pat-enf PACKAGING MACHINE George Edward Spriggs, Felsted, England, assignor to British Sugar Corporation Limited, London, England Application June 11, 1954, Serial No. 436,183

16 Claims. (Cl. 53-188) This invention relates to an improved packaging machine and has particular but not exclusive reference to the packaging of sugar. A machine is known which is capable of packaging sugar but it is generally of a somewhat complicated and bulky construction and the object of the invention is to provide an improved packaging machine for sugar or analogous commodities, which is comparatively simple in construction and operation and is less bulky than the known machine.

The invention provides a method of packaging sugar or analogous commodities, which consists in the repeated operations of feeding a flattened bag from a stack to a filling station, opening the bag and delivering a quantity of the commodity into the bag, delivering the bag away from the filling station, folding over marginal mouth parts of the bag, and applying pressure to the folded parts whilst previously applied adhesive is drying to stick down the folded parts. The method may be particularly characterised by a number of individual features as follows: (l) the operation of feeding a bag from the stack in one direction by the engagement of a movable member with a base fold in the bag, and the temporary sticking of the bag to said member for movement of the bag in another direction towards the filling station, `(2) the operation of initially de-forming mouth parts ofthe bag in suitable manner to facilitate subsequent opening of the bag, (3) the operation of detecting whether a bag is in position at the filling station at the required time for filling, and only if so, causing a weighing machine to deliver a pre-weighed quantity of the commodity into the bag.

The invention also provides a packaging machine for sugar or analogous commodities comprising means constructed and arranged for repeated operation, including bag feeding means adapted to have arcuate movements for removing a attened bag from a stack and delivering it to a filling station, expanding means at the filling station for receiving and opening the bag and holding it open Ywhile a quantity of the commodity is delivered into it, means for effecting delivery of the filled bag away from the filling station, means for folding over mouth parts of the bag to which adhesive has been suitably applied, and means for applying pressure to the folded parts Whilst the adhesive is drying. The machine may be particularly characterised by the bag feeding means consisting of an oscillatable device having means associated therewith for the temporary gripping of a bag by the device for the latter to extract the bag from the stack in one Vdirection of movement of the device and to deliver the bag to the filling station in the other direction of movement. Said gripping means may jointly comprise adhesive by which the mouth of the bag is stuck to the oscillatable device and which is applied through the medium of the oscillatable member, and a clawker member carried by the oscillatable device for hooking into a base foldin .the bag. lMeans for receiving and opening the bag conveniently consists of relatively expandable jaws adapted to grip the bag electric motor 14. At that'end of interiorly and provide a passage for the commodity into the bag. Stop motion means may be provided, conveniently associated with the bag opening means for stopping the packaging machine if there is not a bag 011 the bag opening means when operated inthe bag opening direction. The operations of opening the bag, carrying out the test, and a further operation of raisingv and lowering the stack of bags into and out of position for extraction of a bag by the oscillatory device, may be effected and relatively timed by suitably shaped disc cams rotatable in timed relation with the movement of the oscillatable device.

For effecting delivery of the filled bags from the fill-` ing station they may first drop by gravity in front of a ram which is reciprocated (in timed relation with the other operations) to push the filled bags into engagement with suitable devices for progressively folding marginal mouth portions of the bags. These folding means may include members movable from the ram (in suit-` ably timed relationship) to inwardly deflect mouth portions of the bag and effect two folds, in conjunction with suitable stationary members. After being folded the bags conveniently pass to the means for applying pressure to the folds which may consist of a tunnel, the fioor of which is constituted by the upper lap of a conveyor belt.

Motion may be imparted to movable parts of the machine conveniently from an electric motor through the intermediary of belt and pulley and/or chain and sprocket mechanism, and the oscillatable member may be operated through the medium of rack and pinion means and such means may be adjustable for adjustment of the oscillatable member.

Any suitable or known weighing machine may be provided with which the packaging machine is associated for the delivery of pre-weighed quantities of the commodity to the bags, this weighing machine being interconnected with the packaging machine by means such that the stop motion is applied to both machines.

The above and other features of the invention set out in the appended claims are incorporated in the construction which will now be described, as a specific embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a general side view of according to the invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged side view of part of the machine.

Figure 3 is a detail nism for a bag.

a packaging machine plan view of mouth folding mechaopening means.

Figure 7 is an enlarged perspective view of a bag opening device.

Figures 8 to 12 are views illustrating folding of a bag mouth.

Figure 13 is a perspective view of one of the bags employed in the machine.

Referring now to Figure l the packaging machine consists of a suitable framework 1 carrying a stack 2 of flattened bags through the intermediary of a housing 3 for the bags pivoted at d, and adapted for slight pivotal movement about the pivot Il by having a truck lever 5 connected to it (with a truck or roller thereon if desired) and riding ou a cam 7 on a cam shaft 8. The cam shaft 8 is rotatable through the medium of chains 9 and 1i) and sprockets 11, 12 and 13 (and/or belt and pulleys) by an the housing 3 opposite to the pivot 4 there is provided a roller 15 (which may be spring biassed) on arms 16, and the housing also rcarries a fixed rod 17 and has an aperture 18 in its base.

For feeding bags successively from the `underside of the stack there is vprovided an oscillatable device 19 which is Patented loci. 29, 1957l oscillatable on a pivot through the intermediary of a rack 21, pinion 22, and disc 23 to which the rack 21 is pivoted and which is rotatable by the shaft 8. The rack 21 is conveniently biassed into engagement with-thepinion 22 by a roller 24 biassed by a spring 25. The oscillatable device 19 has a counter-weight part 26 and carries an arcuate guard plate 27, a clawker-lilte plate 2S, and a pair o f headed lugs or pads 30, 31. The clawker-like'plate 2S is for engaging a base fold'of a bag in a manner hereinafter more fully referred to, and the pads 30, 31are for engagement with an adhesive coated rolier 32 (if desired with a wiper or doctor adjustable for squareness and controlling the thickness of gum inthe roller) which is rotatable by the motor '14 through Vthe intermediary of the chainV 19, Sprocket 12, 13 and further chain and sprockets indicated generally at 33. A

For receiving and opening the bag there is provided an expandable device indicated generally at 34 and comprising afixed verticaljaw 35 which may be downwardly tapered widthwise of the machine (see particularly Figure 7). and which may also taper downwardly with respect to its thickness and;` for co-o'perating with this lixed jaw 35 there is a movable jaw 36 similarly tapered downwardly with respect to its width and pivoted on a pivot 37 for pivotal movement towards and away from the fixed jaw 35. For effecting this latter movement the upper end of the movable jaw 36 lhas fixed to it a truck arm 38 having a truck or roller 39 thereon riding on a cam 40 on said shaft 8.v This cam 40 may have a step 140 in it for a small initial closing movement of the movable jaw 36 before the full closing movement to allow release of the bag without trapping some of its contents between the jaws; furthermore this cam 40y may be an adjustable split cam with adjustment means such as at 24() for adjustment to obtain accurate timing of operations.

Associated with the said movable jaw 36 there is part of stop motion means comprising a switch box 41 in which there is a projecting switch part 42 and which is pivotally mounted on a pivot 43 and is spring biassed in a direction towards the movable jaw 36 by a spring 44. The movable jaw 36 has a slot 45 in it which registers with the projectingV switch part 42 with the movable jaw 36 in its open position. The switch part 42 is electrically connected to electrical control means of the weighing machine for feeding a commodity to the bags as will be more fully referred to hereinafter.

Leading downwardly to the bag opening device 34 there is provided a chute 49 into which 'the commodity to be packed. in bags (hereinafter for the sake of convenience referred to as sugar) is delivered through another chute 50 (or there may be only one chute) from a` weighing machine for delivering measured quantities of material such as sugar or analogous commodities.

Except for the chain 10, sprocket 13, and motor 14 all the above described mechanism is provided uppermost in the machine, and underneath this mechanism there is provided means for delivering filled bagsto a remote location. device 51 reciprocatable through the intermediary of a connecting rod 52, disc 53, chain 54 and sprockets 55 from the aforesaid motor 14. The ram 51 has a bag engaging plate 56 for engaging a lower part of the bag, and a horizontal plate 57 at a high location for engaging an upper part of a bag. The ram 51 also carries a pair of side arms 58 pivoted tothe ram at 59 against spring means 60 and carrying upstanding inward deflectors 61 for engaging the upper parts of a bag; for elfecting inward movement of the deiiectors 61 each arm 58 has an outwardly projecting lug 62 for engagement with a roller 63 carried by a pivoted member 64 which is spring biassed in one direction by a spring 65.

The ram S1 also has connected to it a framework indicated generally at 66 which is connected by members 67 to. a. pair of horizontal rods 68. Each rod 68 has coil This mechanism conveniently consists of a ramV CTI springs 69 on it and collars 70, 71 such that movement of the rods 68 by the ram 51, in one direction, is through the medium of the springs 69 and, in the other direction, is positive. Each rod 68 carries an inwardly directed arm 72 pivoted to the rod at 73.

The said frame members 66 carry a cam plate 74 adapted to engage a roller 75 on an arm 76 pivoted at 77 to a lixed part 78, and connected to the arm there is a folding plate 79. Also fixed to the stationary part 78 there is a rollerV Si) and a horizontal guide part S1 which extends rearwardly, together with a base guide 82 for the bags, to a conveyor apparatus indicated generally at 83.

The conveyor apparatus conveniently includes a traversible conveyor belt 84 for receiving the bags on its upper lap, a tunnel S5 of which the upper lap of the belt 84 forms the base and the upper part 86 of which engages the tops of the bags; there may also be a roller 87 for engaging the topsof the bags.

The above described packaging machine is inter-connected with the said weighing machine for suitable timed relative operation through the medium of said electric Satish 4.2..

vThe aforesaid chute 49 may project upwardly to any desired extent to suit the weighing machine. There may also be provided guide means and a tray for collecting sugar inadvertently not delivered into bags, so that the sugar does not interfere with the mechanism of the machine. if desired the said ram 51 may be biassed by strong spring means in its reverse direction.

The operation, ofthe machine will now be described and it should first;` be explained, with reference to Figure 1 3,A that the bags 9 0 aresupplied already attened with side parts 90g inwardly folded and a base part 90b upwardly folded to one side of the body of the bag as illustrated insaid Figure 12. Before the bags are stacked in the housing 3 they are each manually de-formed by slight folding along a line substantially at the location indicated at 91 in Figure 13, the direction of folding being in the opposite direction to which the base 90b extends, andI the thus'de-formed bags are stacked in the housing 3l as indicated in Figure l with the base parts nearest the bag opening means 34 and the de-formed mouth parts directed upwardly at the other end of the housing.

When the machine is set in motion the oscillatable feed member 19 moves to carry the pads 30, 31 and clawker member rearwardly after the housing 3 has been slightly raised. In this` movement of the member 19 the pads 30 and 31 wipe the adhesive roller 32 so as to pick up adhesive therefrom. On the reverse motionof the member 19 the housing; 3 lowers and the` clawker platev28 hooks into the base fold 90b of the lowermost bag 90 and withdraws it from the stack; substantially simultaneously the padsr30 31 engager the mouth partof the bag and the bag is then carried by the member 19 in an arcuate movement such that eventually the pads press the 'bag against the movable roller 15 such that the mouth of the bag becomes firmly pressed on to the adhesive coatedpads. When the member 19is in its lowermost position during said latter motion the mouth of the bag isl slightly open, by virtue of the aforesaid -manual de-formation, as shown in Figure 4, and at this stage in the process the movable arm 36 of the bag opening device is in its closed. position. The member 19 now reverses its motion and in doing so the bag is carried upwardly by its adherence to the saidpads 30, 31 such that the mouth of the bag .is engaged over the lower ends of the jaws 35, 36; further return motion of the member 19 results in the bag being carried`further over the jaws 3S, 3 6' until eventually the pads become dis-engaged from the bag and the bag becomes gripped-by the jaws 35, 36 (as shown inFigure 5v and with the assistance of the aforesaid leafsprings if provided). Next the bag is opened by outward movementof-the movable jaw 36 as shown innFigure dand the Side. ofthe -bag on the movable vjaw engages theY switch.42 tocloseit thereby operating the electrical switch means of the weighing machine to cause a feed of the desired pre-weighed quantity of the sugar into the bag. Evidently, if there is not a bag on the jaws at this stage of operations the switch 42 will not be closed and the weighing machine will not operate to deliver any sugar.` If desired the switch 42 may cooperate with another switch in the circuit of motor 14 for stoppage of the packaging machine when the jaws open and there is no bag on them., t

VImmediately a filled bag drops on to the support 82 the ram 51 is advanced to push the bag towards the conveyor 84 and for the distance of the thickness of the bag. In so doing the mouth part of the bag is first slightly deected inwardly at its sides by the aforesaid members 61 as indicated in Figures 3 and 8. Immediately following this the upper horizontal plate 57 compresses the front and rear parts of the mouth against the fixed part 81 as shown in Figure 9 and substantially simultaneously the upper` marginal part of the mouth of the bag commences to be bent over rearwardly by the said movable plate 79 also 'as shown in Figure 9. As shown in Figure 10 the plate 79 continues its folding motion on the mouth part of the bag, by action of the cam plate 74 on the roller 75 such that said mouth part of the bag is eventually folded back upon itself and pressed against the member 81 as shown in Figure 10. From this stage the pivoted arms 72 engage the root end of the folded mouth parts of the bag and upon the next advance stroke of the ram 51 to operate on a new bag, the last bag is carried a further distance through the medium of the new bag pressing against it and through the medium of the pivoted arms 72 engaging said upper part of the bag; this motion is indicated in Figure l1 and its results in the bag having its folded mouth part further folded downwardly by the fixed member 8i, as shown in Figure l2, until the folded parts become parallel and horizontal with the top end of the bag. Next the top part of the bag is slightly depressed by the rollers 80 (which may be biassed downwardly by spring or gravity) and from this location the folds are held down rst by a frame extension 181 of the fixed part 81 and then by the roller 8'7 and roof part 86 of the tunnel 85, and it will be understood that the folded parts will become adhered together by virtue of this pressure and of the initial application of the adhesive to the mouth parts of the bag. It will also be understood that the filled bags are first delivered away from the filling station by the ram and then they are carried away by the conveyor 84 to a desired remote location during which time the adhesive is drying. What I claim is: I l. A packaging machine comprising means constructed and arranged for repeated operation, including arcuately oscillatable bag feeding means for removing a flattened bag from a stack of bags and delivering it to a filling.

station, expanding means at the filling station for receiving and opening the bag and holding it open while a quantity of commodity is delivered into it, means for effecting delivery of the filled bag away from the filling station, and means for folding over mouth parts of the bag to which adhesive has been suitably applied, the said arcuately oscillatable bag feeding means having adhesive-applying elements by which the mouth of a bag is adhered to the oscillatable device, and a member for hooking into a base fold in the bag.

2. A packaging machine comprising means constructed and arranged for repeated operation, including arcuately oscillatable bag feeding means for removing a flattened bag from a stack of bags and delivering it to a filling station, expanding means at the filling station for receiving and opening the bag and holding it open while a quantity of commodity is delivered into it, means for effecting delivery of the filled bagaway from the filling station, and means for folding over mouth parts of the bag to which adhesive has been suitably applied, the said arcuately oscillatable bag feeding means having adhesiveapplying elements by which the mouth of a bag is adhered to the oscillatable device, and a member for hooking into;

a base fold in the bag, the said adhesive-applyingelements and the hook being relatively disposed to curve the ybag into arcuate form, whereby adherence of said elements to one wall adjacent the mouth of the bag partially opens said mouth.

3. A packaging machine comprising means constructed and arranged for repeated operation, including arcuately oscillatable bag feeding means for removing a attened bag from a stack of bags and delivering it to a filling station, expanding means at the filling station for receiving and opening the bag and holding it openv while a quantity of commodity is delivered into it, means for effecting delivery of the filled bag away from the filling station, and means for folding over mouth parts of the bag to which adhesive has been suitably applied, the said arcuately oscillatable bag feeding means having adhesiveapplying elements by which the mouth of a bag is adhered to the oscillatable device, and a member for hook-- ing into a base fold in the bag, the said adhesive-applying elements and the hook being relatively disposed to curver the bag into arcuate form, whereby adherence of vsaid elements to one wall adjacent the mouth of the bag partially opens said mouth, the said oscillatable means in its backward movement initially engaging the bag mouth about said expanding means and then lifting the bag to filling position, said expanding means detaching the bag mouth from the adhesive-applying elements.

4. A packaging machine comprising means constructed and arranged for repeated operation, including arcuately oscillatable bag feeding means for removing a flattened bag from a stack of bags and delivering it to a filling station, expanding means at the filling station for receiving and opening the bag and holding it open while a quantity of commodity is delivered into it, means for effecting delivery of the filled bag away from the filling station, and means for folding over mouth parts of the bag to which adhesive has been suitably applied, the said arcuately oscillatable bag feeding means having adhesive-applyingA elements by which the mouth of a bag is adhered to the oscillatable device, and a member for hooking into a base fold in the bag, the said adhesive-applying ele-4 ments and the hook being relatively disposed to curve the bag into arcuate form, whereby adherence of saidv elements to one wall adjacent the mouth of the bag partially opens said mouth, the said oscillatable means in its backward movement initially engaging the bag mouth about said expanding means and then lifting the bag to filling position, said expanding means detaching the bag mouth from the adhesive-applying elementsand the backward movement of the oscillatable means displacing the adhesive-applying elements past the bottom delivery of the filled bag away from the filling station,

and means for folding over mouth parts of the bag to which adhesive has been suitably applied, the said arcuately oscillatable bag feeding means having adhesiveapplying elements by which the mouth of a bag is. adhered to the oscillatable device, and a member for hooking into a base fold in the bag, the said adhesiveapplying elements and the hook being relatively disposed to curve the bag into arcuate form, whereby adherence of said elements to one wall adjacent the mouth of the bag partially opens said mouth, the said oscillatable means in its backward movement initially engaging the bag mouth about said expanding means and then lifting the bag to filling position, said expanding means detaching the bag mouth from the adhesive-applying elements and the backward movement of the oscillatable means displacing the adhesive-applying elements past the bottom of the stack into contact with means to supply adhesive to said elements, a container housing the stack of bags and cam means for lifting said container during passage of the adhesive-applying elements below the stack in the backward movement of the oscillatable means.

6. A packaging machine comprising means constructed and arranged for repeated operation, including arcuately oscillatable bag feeding means for removing a flattened bag from a stack of bags and delivering it to a filling station, expanding means at the filling station for receiving and opening the bag and holding it open while a quantity of commodity is delivered into it, means for effecting delivery of the filled bag away from the filling station, and means for folding over mouth parts of the bag to which adhesive has been suitably applied, the said arcuately oscillatable bag feeding means `having adhesiveapplying elements by which the mouth of a bag is adhered to the oscillatable device, and a member for hooking into a base fold in the bag, the said adhesive-applying elements and the hook being relatively disposed to curve the bag into arcuate form, whereby adherence of said elements to one wall adjacent the mouth of the bag partially opens said mouth, the said oscillatable means in its backward movement initially engaging the bag mouth about said expanding means and then lifting the bag to filling position, said expanding means detaching the bag mouth from the adhesive-applying elements and the backward movement of the oscillatable means displacing the adhesive-applying elements past the bottom of the stack intocontact with means to supply adhesive to said elements, a container housing the stack of bags and cam means for lifting said container during passage of the adhesive-applying elements below the stack in the backward movement of the oscillatable means, and a pressure-applying element displaceable with said container and disposed to press each bag upon the adhesive-applying elements during feeding thereof from the stack.

7. A packaging machine comprising means constructed and arranged for repeated operation, including arcuately oscillatable bag feeding means for removing a fiattened bag from a stack of bags and delivering it to a filling station, expanding means at the filling station for receiving and opening the bag and holding it open while a quantity of commodity isdelivered into it, means for effecting delivery of the filled bag away from the filling station, and means for folding over mouth parts of the bag to which adhesive hasfbeen suitably applied, the said arcuately oscillatable bag feeding means having adhesiveapplying elements by which the mouth of a bag is adhered to the oscillatable device, and a member for hooking into a base fold in the bag, the said adhesiveapplying elements and the hook being relatively disposed to curve the bag into arcuate form, whereby adherence of said elements to one wall adjacent `the mouth of the bag partially opens said mouth, the said oscillatable means in its backward movement initially engaging the bag mouth about said expanding means and then lifting the bag to filling position, said expanding means detaching the bag mouth from the adhesive-applying elements and the backward movement of the oscillatable means4 displacing the adhesive-applying elements past the bottom ofk the stack into contact with means to supply adhesive to said elements, a container housing the stack of bags and cam means for lifting `said container during passage of the adhesive-applying elements below the stack in the backward movement of the oscillatable means, and a pressure-applying element displaceable with said container and disposed to press each bag upon the adhesiveapplying elements during feeding thereof from the stack, a driving shaft having a crank for actuating rackV and pinion means driving the oscillatable means and cam 8 means to operate, respectively, the bag container and the bag expanding means.

8. A machine according to claim 7, wherein the filled bags are delivered by gravity, cam means for operating the expanding means to release each filled bag, delaying closing of said expanding means until the commodity filled into the bag is clear of the lower ends of said expanding means.

9. A packaging machine comprising means constructed and arranged for repeated operation, including arcuately oscillatable bag feeding means for removing a flattened bag from a stack of bags and delivering it to a filling station, expanding means at the filling station for receiving and opening the bag and holding it open while a quantity of commodity is delivered into it, means for effecting delivery of the filled bag away from the filling station, and means for folding over mouth parts of the bag to which adhesive has been suitably applied, thev said arcuately oscillatable bag feeding means having adhesive-applying elements by which the mouth of a bag is adhered to the oscillatable device, and a member for hooking into a base fold in the bag, a reciprocating ram for engaging the delivered, filled bags in timed relation to displace the filled bags in sequence and means operable with the ram for closing the mouth parts of the bag into mutual engagement transversely to the direction of operation of the ram, means operable in the first displaced position of the bags for folding down the upper margin of said mutually engaged parts to effect the first sealing, and abutment means for turning, during displacement of each bag from said first to a second displaced position, said folded margin horizontally and applying pressure to effect the second sealing.

1G. A machine according to claim 9 wherein the abutment means also cooperates with the said means operable with the ram for closing the mouth parts of the bag.

1l'. A machine according to claim 9, wherein the said bag mouth closing means includes members movable longitudinally with the ram and movable inwardly during such longitudinal movement to tuck inwards side portions of the mouth of the bag prior to said transverse closing.

12. A packaging machine comprising means constructed and arranged for repeated operation, including arcuately oscillatable bag feeding means for removing a flattened bag from a stack of bags and delivering it to a filling station, expanding means at the filling station for receiving and opening the bag and holding it open while a quantity of commodity is delivered into it, means for effecting delivery of the filled bag away from the filling station, and means for folding over mouth parts of the bag to which adhesive has 4been suitably applied, the said arcuately oscillatable bag feeding means having adhesive-applying elements by which the mouth of a bag is adhered to the oscillatable device, and a member for hooking into a base fold in the bag, a reciprocating ram for engaging the delivered, filled bags in timed relation to displace the filled bags in sequence and means operable with the ram for closing the mouth parts of the bag into mutual engagement transversely to the direction of operation of the ram, means operable in the first displaced position of the bags for folding down the upper margin of said mutually engaged parts to effect the rst sealing, and abutment meansfor turning, during displacement of each bag from said first to a second displaced position, said folded margin horizontally and applying pressure to effect the second sealing, a folding plate angularly displaceable in timed relation with the ram to a dependent vertical position to fold down the uppery margin of the mutually engaged mouth parts and press the folded parts against a vertical surface of said abutment means, said plate having a transverse ledge for engaging the transverse edge of the closed bag mouth.

i3. A packaging machine comprising means constructed and arranged for repeated operation, including arcuately oscillatable bagfeeding means for removing a flattened bag from a stack of bags and delivering it to a filling station, expanding means at the filling station for receiving and opening the bag and holding it open while a quantity of commodity is delivered into it, means for eecting delivery of the filled bag away from the filling station, and means for folding over mouth parts of the bag to which adhesive has been suitably applied, the said arcuately oscillatable bag feeding means having adhesive-applying elements by which the mouth of a bag is adhered to the oscillatable device, and a member for hooking into a base fold in the bag, a reciprocating ram for engaging the delivered, filled bags in timed relation to displace the filled bags in sequence and means operable with the ram for closing the mouth parts of the bag into mutual engagement transversely to the direction of operation of the ram, means operable in the first displaced position of the bags for folding down the upper margin of said mutually engaged parts to effect the first sealing, and abutment means for turning, during displacement of each bag from said first to a second displaced position, said folded margin horizontally and applying pressure to effect the second sealing, a folding plate angularly displaceable in timed relation with the ram to a dependent vertical position to fold down the upper margin of the mutually engaged mouth parts and press the folded parts against a vertical surface of said abutment means, said plate having a transverse ledge for engaging the transverse edge of the closed bag mouth, the folding plate being angularly displaceable from the dependent vertical position in the direction opposite to the operative stroke of the ram and, during such angular displacement, cooperating with said means for closing the mouth parts of the bag, sweeping the leading wall of said mouth parts rearwardly relative to the motion of the bag which is under displacement by the ram.

14. A packaging machine comprising means constructed and arranged for repeated operation, including arcuately oscillatable bag feeding means for removing a fiattened bag from a stack of bags and delivering it to a filling station, expanding means at the filling station for receiving and opening the bag and holding it open while a quantity of commodity is deliveredinto it, means for effecting delivery of the filled bag away from thedilling station, and means for folding over mouth parts of the bag to which adhesive has been suitably applied, the said arcuately oscillatable bag feeding means having adhesive-applying elements by which the mouth of a bag is adhered to the oscillatable device, and a member for hooking into a base fold in the bag, a reciprocating ram for engaging the delivered, filled bags in timed relation to displace the filled bags in sequence and means operable with the ram for closing the mouth parts of the bag into mutual engagement transversely to the direction of operation of the ram, means operable in the first displaced position of the bags for folding down the uppen margin of said mutually engaged parts to effect the first sealing, and abutment means for turning, during displacement of each bag from said first to a second displaced position, said folded margin horizontally and applying pressure to effect the second sealing, said abutment means having a horizontal surface below which each successive bag is moved into the second displaced position to effect the `second folding and sealing.

15. A packaging machine comprising means constructed and arranged for repeated operation, including arcuately oscillatable bag feeding means for removing a flafttened bag from a stack of bags and delivering it to a filling station, expanding means at the filling station for receiving and opening the bag and holding it open while a quantity of commodity is delivered into it, means for effecting delivery of the filled bag away from the filling station, and means for folding over mouth parts of the bag to which adhesive has been suitably applied, the said arcuately oscillatable bag feeding means having adhesive-applying elements by which the mouth of a bag is adhered to the oscillatable device, and a member for hooking into a base fold in the bag, a reciprocating ram for engaging the delivered, filled bags in timed relation to displace the filled bags in sequence and means operable with the ram for closing the mouth parts of the bag into mutual engagement transversely to the direction of operation of the ram, means operable in the first displaced position of the bags for folding down the upper margin of said mutually engaged parts to effect the first sealing, and abutment means for turning, during displacement of each bag from said first to a second displaced position, said folded margin horizontally land applying pressure to effect the second sealing, said abutment means having a horizontal surface below which each successive bag is moved into the second displaced position to effect the second folding and sealing, a pair of arms pivoted for movement in a horizontal plane between one limit position in which they are aligned parallel to the transversely closed bag mouth and another position in which they extend forwardly in the direction of movement of the bags, said arms being mounted for joint displacement with the forward movement of the ram, while in said one limit position to engage the root end of the first folded mouth parts of each bag during the second folding by said abutment means, and said arms with the rearward movement of the ram pivoting outwardly and thereby withdrawing from the bag mouth.

16. A machine according to claim 15, wherein the longitudinal displacement of said arms is less than the displacement of the ram and is effected by the ram with lost motion through compressible spring means.

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